Notts Outlaws completed their fourth consecutive victory in this season’s Yorkshire Bank 40 competition when they defeated Warwickshire Bears by seven wickets at Edgbaston.
After two lengthy stoppages during the home side’s innings, which ended on 186-7 from 30 overs, the Outlaws were left to chase a Duckworth Lewis revised target of 194.
Returning after a further delay – on 112-3 after 17.4 overs - they were then required to score anoher 21 more runs from 20 deliveries and romped home, with 9 balls remaining.
"Had we needed to score the whole 194, we wouldn’t have been daunted.” Mick Newell
Despite another frustrating evening, checking the weather radar and the D/L calculations, Mick Newell was pleased to claim the two points.
“We had the best of the weather again and managed to win the toss, which was important,” he said.
“But I think the cricket that we played would indicate to me that we’re playing well in this competition right now. They only scored 40 from their first ten overs so I’m pretty pleased with the way we controlled things.
“We’ve got good opening batsmen and Michael Lumb was in excellent form from the very first ball. Had we needed to score the whole 194 we wouldn’t have been daunted.”
Newell explained the late withdrawal of Andy Carter who made a late withdrawal with a minor back problem.
“He got injured at the last minute, in the final warm-ups. He felt a spasm in his back – he’s an honest lad like that – and didn’t try and bluff his way through the evening.”
Michael Lumb took the batting honours, scoring 57 from 41 deliveries, whilst Steven Mullaney and Jake Ball each picked up two Bears wickets during the evening.
In overcast conditions Chris Read won his fourth straight toss in this season’s competition and asked the home side to bat first.
The Notts line-up showed a late change from the one previously announced, with Ajmal Shahzad starting in place of Andy Carter and making his one-day debut for the county.
Darren Maddy, celebrating his 39th birthday, opened alongside Varun Chopra for Warwicks, with Harry Gurney and Jake Ball sharing the bowling duties.
After just ten minutes play, with a score of 9-0 on the board, heavy rain swept across the ground, causing a delay of 35 minutes and the first reduction in the number of overs.
Chopra flicked a ball firmly towards Shahzad at short fine leg but he was unable to hang on to the ankle-high missile but Notts did then make the opening breakthrough.
Maddy (5) mistimed a drive off Ball straight to Michael Lumb at mid off.
Bears skipper Jim Troughton joined Chopra and took the score to 41-1 before the weather enforced another prolonged stoppage, this time of around 75 minutes.
Troughton (16) fell shortly after the resumption, stumped by a distance after charging at Steven Mullaney.
The same bowler, who won the man-of-the-match award for his bowling in the recent win over Kent Spitfires, then claimed a second scalp as Chopra (42) was given out lbw.
The slow left-arm spin of Graeme White accounted for Chris Woakes (5), beaten by one that turned and clipped the off stump.
Rikki Clarke, in his 150th one-day innings, heaved Samit Patel away for the first maximum of the evening and found support from Tim Ambrose as 26 were added in just two overs.
Shahzad had Ambrose (21) caught in the deep by Wessels and another well-judged catch by Lumb, off Gurney, sent back Steffan Piolet (22).
Clarke (55) reached his fifty (42 balls, 5x4, 1x6) with a top-edged boundary that flew over Read but he fell to the penultimate ball of the innings, swishing across the line at Ball.
Warwicks total of 186-7 was adjusted under the Duckworth Lewis calculations, leaving Notts to score 194 for the win.
Lumb began in a hurry – hitting Woakes for three boundaries from the first four deliveries. With the bit between his teeth he then despatched Chris Wright for a straight six as 32 came from the first three overs.
Alex Hales (8) fell as soon as the bowling was changed, chipping Jeetan Patel’s first delivery to midwicket.
James Taylor worked the bowling around, whilst Lumb continued to attack, blazing his way to fifty (28 balls, 9x4, 1x6).
Lumb (57) was bowled by Piolet’s first delivery and Patel (14) hit Boyd Rankin to deep square leg but the Outlaws were comfortably ahead when the rains suddenly returned.
The final calculation meant that Notts had lost 9 overs – and their batting powerplay – and needed 21 more from 20 deliveries which they easily achieved through Taylor (39 not out) and Wessels (12 not out).
The Outlaws are next in action on Sunday 26 May when they entertain the Netherlands at Trent Bridge in another Yorkshire Bank 40 match.